Standard Common Name

Black Loosejaw

Identification

The Black Loosejaw is an elongate, compressed fish. Its jaws are much longer than the skull. There is a comma-shaped photophore under the eye and a circular photophore behind the eye. In life, these photophores are red and green respectively. The head and body are black.

Size range

The species grows to 24 cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is known from off New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.